Fear not: Seek peace in our homes

Learn | Pray | Give | Advocate for change

Church pledge and worship resources

Wallet-size cards with tips on how to support survivors of domestic violence now available for free. Available in either English or Spanish from your nearest MCC office.

If news of sexual assault in your neighborhood, state or nation weigh heavily on your heart, the prayers at abuse.mcc.org may help you lift your heart toward God.

Worship resources

Invite your congregation to sign a pledge on "Promoting peace at home." If your church signs the pledge, let us know by sending an email to jvielman@mcc.org. A list of participating congregations will be posted online. 

The pledge and a prayer for use in corporate worship are on this bulletin insert to download and print. 

Pledge and bulletin insert in Spanish

Domestic violence involves someone hurting or degrading another, in order to gain control over them. It may be emotional, physical, sexual and spiritual, and often occurs in a pattern which is regular and repeated. If abuse is not addressed, it tends to get worse. Victims seek help first from friends, family and neighbors; and secondly from health providers and faith communities.

In Luke 4:18, Jesus declared that his mission was to bring release to the captives, sight to the blind and freedom to those who are oppressed. Those who follow Jesus therefore, have an important role to play in bringing freedom to those held captive in the cycle of violence, giving sight to those blind to the destructiveness of their behavior and ending oppression within our families and communities.

Learn

Abuse: Response and Prevention: This 32 page booklet addresses how to respond when someone discloses they are experiencing abuse. Intended especially for church leaders, it includes basic information, biblical reflections, guidelines for response, suggestions for prevention and additional resources. Request | Download.

Created Equal: Women and Men in the Image of God: This 36 page booklet provides a biblical understanding of equality between women and men. It responds to frequently asked questions such as how to understand creation, the fall and some of Paul's writings. It also includes questions for further reflection and discussion, and a list of additional resources.

Home Shouldn't be a Place that Hurts: This brochure addresses abuse and provides indicators of healthy and unhealthy relationships. "Home Shouldn't be a Place that Hurts" is intended for congregations as well as individuals. It offers insights about what to do if you are being abused, if you may have acted in abusive ways or if you know of abuse.

Pray

     Worship and sermon resources

     Faith teachings to harm or heal (article)

     Easter Morning (poem)

Give

Support MCC's peace programming around the world

Current MCC peace projects addressing domestic violence:

Advocate for change

Support local shelters and programs which address those who are abusive (e.g. batterer intervention programs, Silent Witness, YWCA programs)

Examine congregational life and how it can be more supportive of victims and survivors (see The Church Today: Putting out a Welcome Mat or Creating Roadblocks?)

Urge church leaders and congregations to be more proactive (see Religion and Violence e-Learning)

Violence Against Women Act: In April, the Senate passed S.1925, a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which, among other provisions, provides protections for battered non-citizens through the U-Visa program. In May, the House passed a version of the VAWA reauthorization which would roll back many vital protections for immigrant victims of domestic violence.